We’ll inspire and empower you to deliver your best work so you can evolve, grow and succeed - today and into tomorrow. We offer an exciting range of opportunities to develop your career within a supportive and diverse team who always strive to do the right thing for our people, clients and communities.

People are our greatest asset, and we offer a competitive package to retain and attract the best talent. In addition to the benefits you’d expect, UK employees also receive free single medical cover and digital GP service, family-friendly benefits such as enhanced parental leave pay and free membership of employee assistance and parental programmes, plus reimbursement towards relevant professional development and memberships. We also give back to our communities through our Collectively program which incorporates matched-funding, paid volunteering time and charitable donations.

Work-life balance and flexibility is a key focus area for us. We’re happy to discuss hybrid, part-time and flexible working hours, patterns and locations to suit you and our business.

About the Opportunity:

We are looking to recruit a Corrosion Science Consultant for the Radioactive Waste Management and Disposal (WM&D) Business Unit based in Harwell, Oxfordshire. You will be part of a multi-disciplinary business (including chemists, physicists, material scientists, engineers, modellers, geologists, safety case specialists, mathematicians and project managers) that delivers a range of projects on behalf of both UK-based and international customers. The WM&D Business Unit has led the field of research and development work related to the safe management and disposal of radioactive waste, for over 30 years. The unit has a wide breadth of both nationally and internationally respected expertise which underpins the science, technology and engineering that allows the safe disposal of radioactive waste. Our reputation for safely delivering quality projects on time and on budget is well-recognised by our clients and our technical excellence and strong client relationships put us at the forefront of our industry, along with our proven expertise in managing large, complex projects in the UK and overseas.

The vacancy provides an excellent opportunity for those wishing to develop their careers in our technically challenging and commercially-oriented business. As part of WM&D, you will work on a range of desk-based and experimental consultancy projects for customers, including owners of radioactive wastes and nuclear materials, both in the UK and overseas. Our established client portfolio includes organisations like the NDA, NWS, Sellafield Ltd, EDF, AWE, UKAEA, NDF, TEPCO, Nagra, ONDRAF-NIRAS, NND, POSIVA and SKB. The work includes a variety of activities across the areas of nuclear waste management.

This position is ideal for an early-career professional seeking to build on a foundation in corrosion or materials science and to grow within a dynamic consultancy environment. You will be supported in developing both your technical expertise and your consultancy skills including project delivery, stakeholder communication, and technical report writing. The role involves close collaboration with experienced colleagues across the corrosion science team and wider business unit, with work conducted both in the office and in off-site laboratories. While there is flexibility with regard to remote working, regular on-site attendance at our Harwell office and laboratory facilities is essential to fully participate in team activities and experimental work. You will typically contribute to multiple concurrent projects, offering a varied workload, strong development potential, and high job satisfaction. Career progression opportunities are available for those who demonstrate strong performance and a proactive approach to their development.

Key Responsibilities:

As a corrosion science consultant , you will provide technical expertise on a wide variety of projects for customers including radioactive waste management organisations, radioactive waste producers and regulators, both in the UK and overseas. Work includes a wide variety of activities across the areas of integrated radioactive waste management, spent fuels and nuclear materials including but not limited to:

• Laboratory Work: Supporting a broad range of corrosion science experiments, from maintaining established long-term test programmes to developing novel, bespoke experimental setups. Tasks include preparing and conducting experiments, handling chemicals and pressurised gases, operating sensors and data acquisition systems and performing and verifying calculations.
• Desk-Based Consultancy: Contributing to a variety of analytical and research-focused activities such as literature reviews, corrosion assessments, and expert elicitation exercises.
• Data Analysis and Interpretation: Analysing and interpreting experimental and modelling results, and presenting findings through clear visualisations using tools like Microsoft Excel and Python.
• Technical Reporting: Preparing high-quality, comprehensive technical reports for clients and stakeholders, with opportunities to progressively take on greater responsibility for authorship.
• Health and Safety: Taking personal responsibility for health and safety, including the preparation of risk assessments and safe systems of work, and actively contributing to a culture of continuous improvement in safety practices.
• Business Development: Supporting the growth of our business through participation in bid development and proposal writing as part of a dedicated team focused on securing new work with both existing and new clients.

• A degree (or equivalent experience) in a relevant physical science, engineering, or mathematical discipline, plus a PhD (or equivalent experience) in corrosion science, materials science, or a closely related field.
• Practical experience conducting corrosion rate measurements.
• Experience performing or interpreting surface analysis techniques (e.g., SEM, EDX, XPS) to characterise corrosion product layers.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex data and models, extract key insights, and communicate findings clearly.
• High level of numeracy, attention to detail, and a commitment to reviewing and checking your own work.
• Adaptability and the ability to manage multiple tasks or projects, with effective prioritisation.
• Ability to learn quickly on the job and apply new concepts effectively in a project-based environment.
• Proficient IT skills, including strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications (e.g., Excel, Word, PowerPoint).

Our Culture:

Our values stand on a foundation of safety, integrity, inclusion and diversity. We put people at the heart of our business, and we genuinely believe that we all succeed by supporting one another through our culture of caring. We value positive mental health and a sense of belonging for all employees.

We aim to embed inclusion and diversity in everything we do. We know that if we are inclusive, we’re more connected, and if we are diverse, we’re more creative. We accept people for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, mental health, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave. This is reflected in our wide range of Global Employee Networks centered on inclusion and diversity.

We partner with VERCIDA to help us attract and retain diverse talent. For greater online accessibility, please visit www.vercida.com to view and access our roles. As a Disability Confident employer, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a vacancy. We welcome applications from candidates who are seeking flexible working and from those who may not meet all the listed requirements for a role.